A serious look at the DC Universe that doesn't take itself too seriously

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Blackest Night: The Flash #2

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Scott Kolins

Editor: Adam Schlagman

Synopsis

Blue Lantern Barry Allen fights alongside Saint Walker against the Black Lanterns, but he faces overwhelming odds as Kid Flash, Solovar and the Reverse-Flash threaten to weaken his hope.Meanwhile. Captain Cold and the Rogues break into IronHeights, only to find themselves up against the Black Lantern Rogues…

Page 5:“You never cared about nothin’.”Captain Cold’s cold demeanor is touched upon later in this story.

Page 6:Black Lanterns the Top, Golden Glider and the Rainbow Raider last appeared in Blackest Night #3.

Black Lantern Trickster last appeared (as an image only, along with the rest of the dead Rogues) in Blackest Night: The Flash #1.

“Barry Allen of Earth.”This scene, as well as the events on the next page, takes place concurrent with Blackest Night #6, page 15.

Page 7:This is a recap of events from Blackest Night #4-6.

Page 8:Barry Allen last appeared in Blackest Night #6.The events of Blackest Night #4-6 take place between Blackest Night: The Flash #1 and 2.

Saint Walker last appeared in Blackest Night #6.

“For the last forty-eight hours I’ve been doing my best to bury my feelings.”This is the first time in the course of the Blackest Night saga that we’ve had any indication as to how long it has been since the first of the Black Lanterns have risen.I assume that this means that it’s been forty-eight hours since Barry and Hal were confronted by Black Lantern Martian Manhunter in Blackest Night #1.

Now then, I am the last person to ever argue with a writer about the details of their story, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s been forty-eight hours; especially since the past two issues of Blackest Night seem like they take place over a span of a very small amount of time.Blackest Night #6 especially feels like it covers about thirty minutes, maybe an hour at most.

Rather, I suggest that from the time that the first of the Black Lanterns appear until the rise of Nekron it’s a little over a day.Since most of the early action deals with Barry Allen, Hal Jordan and Ray Palmer – three individuals who, in one way or another, can move at extremely fast speeds – judging elapsed time is difficult at best.But it wouldn’t take over a day for them to rally the rest of Earth’s heroes, so Barry’s “Paul Revere” run as seen in Blackest Night #4 would be, at most, twenty-four hours after the first Black Lantern appearance.Add on a few more hours before Nekron rises, and then maybe an hour or two after that, and I figure we’re up to maybe thirty hours, somewhere in that ballpark.

“They’ll see one another again.”A foreshadowing of Gehenna’s return to life…or Jason’s death?

Page 11:Black Lantern Kid Flash last appeared in Blackest Night #6.

“You’re supposed to be wearing a black one.”Black Lantern power rings sought out those heroes who have died and returned to life.Hal Jordan and Barry Allen outraced the rings coming for them in Blackest Night #6.

Page 12:Barry is creating a blue light construct of Bart Allen as Impulse and Kid Flash.

Page 13:Black Lantern Reverse-Flash last appeared in Blackest Night: The Flash #1.

Page 14:Wally West last appeared in Blackest Night #6.

“He is, Wally.He’s resurrected sometime after this point in his timeline.”Because the Reverse-Flash appeared as the main antagonist in The Flash: Rebirth mini-series, it stands to reason that he needs to be raised from the dead at some point.Whether his “return” has something to do with the ultimate outcome of Blackest Night or he is resurrected through some other method remains to be seen.

“You know what makes everything better?!”Oh, I so love this set-up…

Page 15:“Gorillas!”It has long been thought that including certain colors, images or concepts on the covers of comic books made them sell better.The color purple.Heroes crying.Motorcycles.Questions that will be “answered inside.”Dinosaurs.And, of course…Gorillas.Hence the plethora of 1960’s DC comics with a gorilla on the cover.

For an expanded explanation of this, check out the letters page of Secret Origins #40, an issue featuring Gorilla Grodd, Congorilla and Detective Chimp.Really.

Page 19:“Do they know how we planned to take out Snart and control the Rogues before I died?”Not sure if this refers to the first time the Top died or the second, and if this had been depicted before or if this is the first time this proposed betrayal has been revealed.

Page 20:Captain Cold is feeling love…and then he’s not.

Page 22:Captain Boomerang II last appeared in Blackest Night: The Flash #1.